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Braun receives MVP hardware before finale

Braun receives MVP hardware before finale

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Ryan Braun

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MILWAUKEE -- Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun was a bit sheepish about accepting his 2011 National League MVP Award for the second time.

The team hosted a Sunday ceremony to honor Braun, giving fans a chance to celebrate their role in cheering Braun to his finest season. The Brewers even pushed the first pitch back 15 minutes, to 1:25 p.m. CT, so the stadium would be full for the event.

Was Braun looking forward to it?

"No, honestly," he said Saturday night. "I'm looking forward to the game. I don't know. It's something that's kind of in the past, honestly something I'm really proud of. It's exciting to have an opportunity, I guess, to share that opportunity with the fans a little bit. But other than that, it's definitely more important to come out and try to win the series as a team."

Braun helped the Brewers win the middle game of the three-game series on Saturday night, snapping out of an 0-for-16 slump with a tying home run, then hitting an RBI triple amid Milwaukee's six-run seventh inning.

That performance lightened the mood on Sunday, when 1982 and '89 American League MVP Robin Yount delivered Braun's NL MVP trophy and Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio presented Braun with his 2011 Silver Slugger Award during a five-minute presentation.

Braun was already acquainted with his MVP Award, which was presented at a Baseball Writers Association of America banquet in New York in January. His parents fetched the trophy from Braun's Malibu, Calif., home and brought it to Miller Park, where the Brewers ceremonially gave it back to him.

"I know Brauny is trying to play it low," said manager Ron Roenicke, who was at the New York ceremony. "It's still a pretty special award. I think he'd rather be out there playing like he did last night, having great games and not worrying about this stuff."